Automatic gas-lighter.



No. 638,786. Patented Dec. I2, I899. o. wmmscn.

AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTER.

(Application filed liar. 27, 1899.) (No Model.)

IN VE N 7019 TNE NORRIS vans o0. momurum, wuumuron. n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSKAR \VINDISCH, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRITZ TRENDEL,

OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,7 86, datedDecember 2, 9-

Application filed March 27, 1899. Serial No. 710,681. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, OSKAR WINDISCH, a subject of the King of Saxony, anda resident of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gas-Lighters,(for which I have filed an application for Letters Patent in Germany,dated February 9, 1899, WV. No. 14,872,) of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of automatic gas-lighting apparatusin which platinamohr or ethiops of iridium, cadmium, and similar metalsor compounds of such metals is employed, the catalytic quality of suchethiops being a well-known means for obtaining the automatic ignition ofgas. In gaslighters of the class referred to the platinamohr and thethin wires of platina connected thereto, as also the supporting parts ofthe platina-mohr are liable to become worn and inactive in acomparatively short timeof use, and the apparatus becomes inoperativeprincipally owing to the fact that the working parts are too muchexposed to the objectionable heat of the flame which has been lighted.

The object of my invention is to automatically remove the operativeplatina-mohr and its supporting parts, as also the thin wires of platinaconnected to the ethiops, from the heat of the flame as soon as the samehas been ignited and to cause the said ethiops and working parts toreturn into the normal position when the flame has been extinguished,whereby the apparatus will always be ready for repeated use. To obtainthe purpose in view, the platina-mohr or ethiops of similar kind arecarried bya lever so pivoted toa suitable supporting-frame to normallykeep the position directly above the flame to be lighted, andimmediately after lighting the flame the heat thereby generated causesthe said lever to turn and to be removed out of reach of the direct heatof the flame. To impart motion to the said pivoted lever, a springcomposed of two different metals is connected to said lever, the freeend of said spring forming a lever-arm, which on finding a fulcrum andacting against said fulcrum throws the pivoted lever around to asuflicient extent to remove the spring and the platina-mohr out of thereach of the direct heat of the flame.

I am aware that a spring composed of two different metals of differentexpansibility has been employed before for removing the lightingsubstance from the flame, and I am also aware that it is old to have apivoted lever carrying at one end a lighting substance and havingaspring-diaphragm acting on its other end, and I do not claim. so broadlyas to include such constructions.

The novel feature of this invention does not consist in employing aspring of the kind described, but in combining the same to a lever whichsupports the platina-mohr or similar lighting substance in the peculiarmanner hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the automaticgas-lighting apparatus mounted on the top of a gas-lamp chimney. Fig. 2is a plan of the same shown in its normal position before lighting theflame; and Fig. 3 is a plan showing the position of the apparatus afterignition of the flame.

\Vith reference to the said drawings, ais a suitable automatic gaslighting substance such, for instance, as platina-mohr or itsequivalent; but I do not limit myself to a distinct substance of thekind described.

a are thin wires of platina connected, as usual, to the catalyticsubstance, which Wires, being heated to glowing white, perform thelighting of the gas.

I) is a suitable support, which may conveniently be formed to be fixedto the upper end of a lamp-chimney. Between lugs of the said support I)a lever c is pivoted to freely swing, as indicated by arrows in Figs. 2and 3. The lighting substance (1 is carried by the free end of saidlever c. Adjacent to the outer end of said lever c a stud cl is secured,and within the said stud at one end of the spring 6 is secured, the saidspring e being composed of two different metals having a differentexpansibility, whereby the said spring is extremely sensitive under thein fluence even of very moderate heat. The free end of said spring cextends parallel or nearly parallel to the lever c and about to theinner end of said lever; but as soon as the said spring 6 becomes heatedeven to a very moderate degree-i. e. immediately after the flame hasbeen 1ighted-the said spring will expand and its free end move in thedirection of the arrow 1 in Fig. 2, thus assuming the position indicatedby Fig. 3. The said spring resting against the edge f of the support I),it will be resisted by said edge in moving, as described, and the saidedge f will constitute a fulcrum to the spring, which thereby acts as alever which, being turned in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 2, carriesthe other lever 0 along with it and throws the same into the positionshown in Fig. 3, where the lighting substance at and also the spring aare out of the direct path of the heat of the flame, the spring beingstill sufflciently subject to the heat to prevent its coolingsufficiently to return the arm to the lighting position. When the flamehas been extinguished, the spring 6 will cool down and resume its formerposition, as shown in Fig. 2,

thereby receding from its bearing-edge or fulcrum f, and as the lever cis so pivoted to normally swing by its own gravity toward the center ofthe lamp-chimney, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the combinedlever c and spring cwill return into said position, to be ready forlighting the flame again as soon as the gas has been turned on anew.

I claim as my invention- In an automatic lighting apparatus, asupporting-frame, a lever pivoted thereto, and carrying a catalyticlighting substance, a spring secured to the free end of said lever, anda fulcrum for said spring in proximity to the pivot of said lever,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 40 hand in presence of twowitnesses.

OSKAR WINDISGH.

Witnesses WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

